Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said he and Botswana President Ian Khama advised Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to join the new government because people would see the MDC as refusing to take a role in the government while the country deteriorated.
He said he told Tsvangirai that time was on his side. By taking part in the government he would be well positioned to prepare for the next elections.
The Tanzanian President also said he had persuaded Tsvangirai not to demand more government ministries arguing that it was better to have fewer ministries and perform well.
With too many ministries, especially in such dire economic circumstances, the risk of failure increased.
Kikwete said Tsvangirai had tried to get additional ministries namely Local Government, Media and Agriculture.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 09DARESSALAAM96, PRESIDENT KIKWETE TOUR D’HORIZON WITH CDA PART I:
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Reference ID |
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Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO8418
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDR #0096/01 0421218
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 111218Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8257
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000096
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2019
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KIKWETE TOUR D’HORIZON WITH CDA PART I:
REGIONAL ISSUES
Classified By: P/E Chief Carl B. Fox for reasons 1.4 (b, d)
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. During a February 11 meeting with President
Kikwete, CDA sought his views on Zimbabwe and dealing with
the new AU Chair. Kikwete encouraged the U.S. to support the
new Zimbabwe government. He said he had advised Morgan
Tsvangirai to join the government and now would not abandon
him. Kikwete said President Mugabe seemed tired, but his
rhetoric against Tanzania had diminished. On the AU, Kikwete
offered to help relay messages to Libyan President Qadhafi
and expressed optimism that Qadhafi’s capacity to embarrass
would be limited. Unprompted, Kikwete told of his efforts
within the AU to hold to a principled position in opposition
to coups and other governments not elected democratically,
which he said had been well received. Discussions at the
meeting on U.S.-Tanzania issues will be reported septel. END
SUMMARY.
Zimbabwe: New government will need support
——————————————
¶2. (C) Kikwete said that at the recent SADC meeting, he and
Botswana President Khama, who had been outspoken in support
of Tsvangirai, both advised him to go into government.
Kikwete told Tsvangirai privately that the Zimbabwean people
would otherwise see MDC refusing to take a role in government
while the country deteriorated. He told Tsvangirai time was
on his side; by taking part in the government, he would be
well positioned to prepare for the next election.
¶3. (C) Of Tsvangirai’s efforts at the last SADC meeting to
get additional ministries (Local Government, Media, and
Agriculture), Kikwete said the proposal was rejected as
having been settled in November. In any case, Kikwete said
he advised Tsvangirai it was better to take fewer ministries
and perform well. With too many ministries, especially in
such dire economic circumstances, the risk of failure
increased.
¶4. (C) Kikwete expressed concern over the proposed sharing of
the Ministry of Home Affairs between ZANU-PF and MDC, saying
that President Nyerere had tried something similar once but
it had caused a big internal fight. He said the original
proposal to rotate ministers at Home Affairs had foundered
when the two sides could not agree who would start. Kikwete
said he had doubts over Mugabe having control over the
police.
¶5. (C) Kikwete said Mugabe appeared really tired at the SADC
meeting. Mugabe hardly spoke, remaining silent on
discussions of the Central Bank Governor and Attorney
General. Mugabe insisted on his constitutional prerogative as
President to name governors, but Kikwete advised him to
consider the circumstances of the power sharing agreement.
According to Zimbabwe’s constitution, the president appoints
all ministers, but those appointments had been designated in
the agreement. Moreover, Kikwete pointed out that the
governors are political, not just civil servants, especially
because they all have seats in the Senate. Kikwete said
Mugabe did not reply during the SADC meeting. However, at
the AU Summit Mugabe was more conciliatory and expressed
thanks to Kikwete. Kikwete commented on the change from when
Mugabe had been calling Tanzania a “puppet” of the U.S. and
UK.
¶6. (C) Kikwete said the new government would need help,
especially as it addresses the humanitarian crisis, and hoped
the U.S. would encourage Tsvangirai and Mugabe to work
together. CDA said he would convey the message. Kikwete
said he would not abandon Tsvangirai after arguing for so
long on his behalf. Kikwete said that support had come at a
significant cost for Tanzania, but relations were now being
patched up.
African Union: On Qadhafi as Chair
———————————-
¶7. (C) CDA sought Kikwete’s advice on dealing with the new AU
Chair. Kikwete offered to continue being useful, since he
would remain on the Bureau as Rapporteur through 2009.
Kikwete said that he still had Qadhafi’s confidence, despite
Kikwete’s “sabotage” of the idea of an AU Government. He
suggested that the U.S. could pass messages through him to
Qadhafi. Kikwete also relayed a comment of Ugandan President
Museveni, that if Qadhafi wanted to represent the AU at the
G20, “he should have company,” perhaps the outgoing Chair.
Within Qadhafi’s government, Kikwete said that while the
Minister for African Affairs, Dr. Treki, is a reasonable man,
the Foreign Minister is a better choice for getting messages
to Qadhafi.
DAR ES SAL 00000096 002 OF 002
¶8. (C) Kikwete, saying “the Leader has his own world,” often
a world of “fantasy,” described Qadhafi as an idealist whose
ideas are incomprehensible to many. Kikwete cited the
example of Qadhafi’s proposal that the Israelis and
Palestinians should live together at peace in a single
nation: Israelistein. He said Qadhafi raised the idea, then
quickly banged the table and proclaimed “So decided!”
prompting a commotion in the hall. Kikwete added that by the
time of Qadhafi’s summation the following day, he had come to
terms with reality and took a more compromising position. On
Qadhafi’s efforts to bring traditional rulers into the AU,
Kikwete said that while he still had the chair he would not
permit the traditional rulers to speak, since they were
represented by their individual Heads of State and
Government. He added that Malawian President Mutharika
tweaked Qadhafi by referring to his own rise to power in
1969, when he displaced a “traditional ruler.” Kikwete
concluded by saying that while Qadhafi “has the capacity for
creating some embarrassment,” there are only two AU summit
meetings during his chairmanship.
Other AU Matters: Holding Firm Against Coups
——————————————–
¶9. (C) Kikwete said that coups had been a big problem at the
Addis summit. Saying “we should be principled,” Kikwete
noted proudly that his statement that there were “no good
coups” earned him a standing ovation in Addis. Kikwete
reviewed the AU’s history with coups since the 2000 Lome
Summit, citing Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, and Madagascar as
earlier instances where the AU had suspended members
(despite, in the case of Cote d’Ivoire, France’s lobbying
that it was a “good coup”). Kikwete said that he met with
the Guinean delegation in Addis and told them that the coup
was “not acceptable.” He told the delegation that Guinea
must return to democratic governance as soon as possible,
after which “we’ll be friends,” and welcomed the promise to
hold elections during 2009. CDA commented on the positive
effects of the AU’s position effect on the junta, which must
be held to its promise on elections.
¶10. (C) Kikwete said he liked to cite his own example as a
soldier who had retired from military life before entering
politics. He objected to the idea that the “officers’ mess”
would decide the distribution of ministries in a government.
Kikwete cited an exchange he had with Senegalese President
Wade, who had argued that the AU should work with the junta
in Guinea. Kikwete said he asked Wade what should happen if
the military in Dakar overthrew him: would he want the AU to
accept it? Wade did not respond.
ANDRE
(18 VIEWS)
